5 Seconds Before a Witch Falls in Love
A yuri manga of a witch and a hunter turned cat.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
5 Seconds Before a Witch Falls in Love (Japanese: 魔女が恋する5秒前, Hepburn: Majo ga Koisuru 5-byōmae) is a Japanese yuri manga by Zeniko Sumiya, who both wrote and illustrated it. The story originally appeared as a series of one-shots in Ichijinsha's Comic Yuri Hime between October 2018 and May 2020, and was later compiled into a single volume in 2020. Seven Seas Entertainment holds the English-language license for North America.
The plot follows Meg, a powerful but lonely witch, and Lilith, a witch hunter. The two are sworn enemies who constantly clash in the forest. When Meg turns Lilith into a cat, she finally gets the upper hand. The spell can only be broken if Lilith kisses the caster, forcing the pair into a deadlock that brings them close to understanding their true feelings for each other.
- field
- Manga
- genre
- Yuri
- author
- Zeniko Sumiya
- publisher
- Ichijinsha
- magazine
- Comic Yuri Hime
- volumes
- 1 tankōbon volume
- english_license
- Seven Seas Entertainment
Lore & Background
The series follows Meg, a great but solitary witch, and Lilith, a witch hunter, who are sworn enemies always quarrelling in the forest. After Meg transforms Lilith into a cat, the spell can only be broken if Lilith kisses the one who cast it, leading the two women to the verge of understanding their feelings for each other. The manga was serialized as a series of one-shots titled 5 Seconds Before a Witch Falls in Love, Demons Harem, and 5 Seconds Before Falling in Love With a Witch, from October 19, 2018, to May 18, 2020.
Reader's Guide
5 Seconds Before a Witch Falls in Love is a notable entry in the yuri genre, collected from a series of one-shots published in Comic Yuri Hime. Its significance lies in its charming premise of enemies-to-lovers, with a magical deadlock forcing intimacy. Rebecca Silverman of Anime News Network gave the series an overall B rating, noting that while the one-shot order can make reading choppy, the stories are strong and adorable without becoming overly sentimental. The series was featured on BookWalker's top-selling manga list for 2022, indicating commercial success. Its English release by Seven Seas Entertainment has made it accessible to a wider audience, contributing to its legacy as a lighthearted yuri romance.
Did You Know?
- The series was serialized as a series of one-shots from October 19, 2018, to May 18, 2020.
- The spell turning Lilith into a cat can only be broken by a kiss from the caster.
- The manga was collected into a single tankōbon volume on September 29, 2020.
- It was featured on BookWalker's top-selling manga for 2022.
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